Roses
by Lunie.B
Summary: Roses are red. An early Valentine's present. This is a Galinda/Elphaba friendship fic with very slight Gliyero and Fiyeraba. Canon musicalverse/bookverse combined.


**Disclaimer**- Wicked is not mine. And it's probably better that way –cackles-

**Roses**

The beautiful, buttery blonde head of Galinda Upland (of the Upper-Uplands) popped off her pink quilted pillow as the familiar chime of an alarm clock rang throughout the college dorm room. Her almond-shaped, cerulean eyes blinked once sleepily before focusing on a black and white Ozion Eligibles calendar, hanging dutifully against the far wall.

Galinda allowed her eyes to linger for a moment upon the chiseled body of the 'February Fireman' before they were drawn to that one day which was circled at least twentiful times in marker (magenta of course). A squeal of joy escaped her full cherry lips, before she shot from her bed with all the force of a comet and rocketed across the room.

"It's today, it's today, it's today, it's today!" her bubbly voice chirped as she clapped her freshly manicured hands together in excitement. She began to skip along the hard wood floor jubilantly, twirling now and then as her baby pink night gown floated around her ankles.

A sudden groan and a soft rustle of fabric nearby caused her to freeze- how in _Oz_ had she forgotten? Prancing silently, she approached the grumpy lump currently dozing in the other, much bleaker bed. The blonde grinned toothily at the random tuffs of unruly, black waves that were peaking out from underneath a grey comforter. Kneeling down until the wiry bed was eye-level, Galinda gently reached forward and prodded the sleeping bump with the nail of her index finger.

"Elphie!" she whispered sweetly to the lump, "wake up!" The sleeping figure refused to acknowledge her roommate, and chose to sneak deeper into the confines of her pillow. Galinda cocked her head in confusion; perhaps her friend just hadn't heard her?

"Elphie?" she tried again, this much louder. "Elphie wake up! It's _today_!" Still no response… that most certainly wouldn't do. Galinda's sugary pink mouth scowled at the rudely behavior of her friend. With a severe nod, she made up her mind; after all, desperate times called for desperate measures. Ripping the thick, colorless blanket from her roommate's body, she shrieked:

"ELPHABA THROPP! I demand you wake up this instant, and stop ignoring me." Galinda giggled happily as the lanky body of her companion leapt several feet into the air, before landing in a disheveled heap on the floor.

"Galinda, what the devil do you want?" Elphaba spat, glaring angrily at the bubbly blonde. Her pale green skin seemed to gleam furiously as she continued, "What could possibly be so important?"

"Oh Elphie, isn't it wonderful? It's today!" Galinda chirped happily, choosing to ignore her friend's outburst for the time being. Today was a day of goodliness, and as the epitome of that, she would be forgiving.

"Yes, thank you, I'm very well aware of that," Elphaba snapped icily, quite eager to return to her warm bed. "It is most clearly not yesterday, nor tomorrow, which then leaves us with only one _possible_ option: it _is_ today. Now that we have established that seemingly _very_ important fact, I am going back to sleep."

"Oh Elphie, you know I don't understand you when you talk like that… all big-wordy and such," Galinda replied good-naturedly, as if assuring her friend that it was a mistake anyone could make. Elphaba huffed, quite sure that her point had been completely lost, but felt her anger dissolving anyway.

"Galinda," she tried again tiredly, "_what_ is so important about today?"

"Say what?" Galinda asked, her tone clearly indicating that she could not believe her roommate had uttered those words. "You're kidding right?" Elphaba raised her eyebrows.

"Holy terror, Elphaba! How in _Oz_ could you forget? It's **Valentine's Day** silly!" Galinda rushed impatiently, her piercing blue eyes fixed upon her roommates brown ones.

"Oh yes Valentine's Day. How in _Oz_ could I forget?" Elphaba snipped sarcastically, rolling her eyes in emphasis. Picking herself up off the floor, she padded towards her mahogany dresser and immediately yanked open the top drawer (with a little more force than necessary).

"W-what? Don't you like Valentine's Day?" Galinda asked naively, her eyes widening to resemble that of a shot lamb.

Elphaba cocked her thin eyebrow, not for the first time questioning the sanity of her best friend. Quite convinced, after several minutes, that Galinda was not joking, she elaborated. "This may come as a shock to you, but no one's ever asked me to be their Valentine."

Galinda laughed at her roommate. "Oh Elphaba you're so funny!" she exclaimed perkily. "**No one** asks anyone to be their Valentine. If you were only_one_ person's Valentine, then you'd only get one card! How sad would that be?"

"Tragic," Elphaba replied, recognizing the futility in convincing her roommate otherwise. Her spidery hands searched through her drawer until they grasped the soft cotton of one cheap, very unexciting frock. "However, just to make a point, I have never received a Valentine's card before, and I don't expect to any time soon."

Galinda gasped, her dainty hand covering her mouth in shock. However soon she lowered it in apparent realization. "What about chocolate then? You _must_have gotten chocolate before!" she replied, quite sure that she was onto something.

"Negative," came the tired reply as Elphaba slipped the navy frock around her shoulders, and down over her body. Reaching for her hair elastic, she expertly wove her coarse hair into a tight braid and secured the end with a knot. _Now, to brush my teeth_, she thought to herself, and turned her body towards the bathroom.

"What about a Valentine's kiss?" Galinda asked again, refusing to drop the subject. Elphaba stopped mid-stride, and clenched her fist. Apparently this wasn't over yet. Really, was it _that_ difficult to understand _why_ she hadn't received a Valentine's _anything_ before? _Honestly?_ Gently, she reminded herself that Galinda was naturally clueless and meant no harm.

"No," she answered finally.

"A sticker?"

"Nope."

"A ribbon?"

"No," Elphaba groaned.

Galinda gasped again, this time a genuine sob concealed beneath it. "What about…" Dare she ask it? The answer could be too awful. But she had to, for the sake of… well, having to. "A Valentine's rose from a secret admirer?" she whispered softly.

"Yes," Elphaba replied, her thin lips twisting into a devious smirk.

"Really?" Galinda squealed happily, rushing forward to hug her best friend.

"No," came the bitter reply, followed by a harsh cackle as the blonde visibly wilted. Though had Galinda been listening, she may have caught the slight waver of sadness in her best friend's voice.

"Elphaba Thropp! That was a really mean thing to do!" Galinda scolded, her hands placed delicately on her hips. Soon, however, her lush lips turned downwards into a sad pout.

"Happy Valentine's Day?" Elphaba joked, her shoulder's shrugging at her poor attempt at humor. She felt the tiniest twinge of guilt for ruining the previously sparkling mood of her best friend, and thus reached forward to pat the blonde reassuringly on the shoulder. "Listen Galinda, I'm sorry. It's just that, Valentine's Day has always seemed like nothing but a waste of money to me," Elphaba apologized, lowering her chocolately brown eyes to the floor.

"Oh, it's okay Elphie. I'm not mad at you… I'm just really sad. You've never gotten a rose before. Roses are like… well the symbol of love. And you've never gotten one be-before!" Galinda sobbed, wrapping her arms firmly around her roommate.

"Probably because no one's ever loved me," Elphaba replied bitterly before she could stop herself. However, even as the words came she knew it was a mistake. The sobbing increased as big fat tears began to leak down Galinda's rosy cheeks, pooling near her chin.

"Galinda, it's okay," Elphaba tried again, awkwardly patting her friend's back. "It, um, really doesn't bug me that much," she said, her voice faltering only slightly. _Not really, anyway, _she thought to herself. She felt the unfamiliar saltiness of tears behind her eyelids, and began to detangle herself from the blonde's embrace before her emotions got out of hand.

"But you really must stop crying. Um, your class is going to start soon. Cosmetology… you really like that one. And- and look at you," Elphaba said distractedly," you haven't even **begun** to put your makeup on yet! What would Fiyero say?"

That cinched it. At the mention of her perfect, princely boyfriend, Galinda dried her eyes immediately and began to fluff her curls. "Kay!" she squealed, before darting into the bathroom. The lock clicked mockingly into place, and Elphaba was left standing in the empty bedroom.

_So much for brushing my teeth_, she thought miserablely before gathering her books and trudging out the door.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_

Elphaba brought her long fingers to her temples as yet another obnoxious squeal sounded from the other side of the classroom. The _very_ other side of the classroom, if she was not mistaken… after all, few people could stomach sitting next to the _artichoke_ for more than a few minutes. Despite Galinda's wildest efforts, Elphaba was still the farthest thing from popular imaginable, and although the blonde would not hear of it, Elphaba was very content with her social position. Having lived as a near leper of society for the majority of her life, she found social situations very uncomfortable and trying- and today was no exception.

"Oh my, _another_ chocolate box? Honestly, I won't be able to fit into my gown if I get much more," came the whiny voice from one of Galinda's faithful followers, Pfannee, Elphaba believed. The green girl craned her long neck to see over the heads of her classmates, just to satisfy her curiosity. _Thought so_, she mused, nodding to herself upon noticing the tiny, annoying brunette take her usual seat near the back.

"Well,_I've_ gotten enough cards to paper my bedroom!" replied the nasally voice of ShenShen, an equally annoying redhead. Honestly didn't these girls have anything better to do? Elphaba could feel the laughter quell up inside her, but she fought it down. Instead she chose to roll her eyes, allowing all her pent up frustration to release itself in that one, simple gesture. Every year, Valentine's Day was the same; nothing but a competition to see who will get the most sweets or cards. _Silly little fools_, Elphaba snorted to herself, _don't they realize the prettiest will always win?_

"Settle down please," came the rusty voice of her professor, the only Animal staff member. Doctor Dillamond stood on his neatly polished Goat hooves and clicked along the tiled floor, all the while smiling in her general direction. Despite having earlier convinced herself that she would be as miserable as possible today, she felt the familiar twist in her thin lips as she returned his grin with her own, much smaller smile. She always looked forward to Life Sciences; why should today be any different? As the Goat's gruff voice filled the auditorium, Elphaba straightened her shoulders and poised her pen to take notes. _Finally, a practical distraction._

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_

Galinda pranced through the long corridors, her arms filled with an assortment of pink, red and whitepapers. Smiling, quite oblivious to the envious stares of passing students, she made her way along the manicured lawns of Shiz University until she came to the large, ornate doors of Crage Hall… which just happened to be fully closed.

"Oh no," Galinda muttered, very uncharacteristically. These doors required _pulling_; and what with her hands otherwise occupied…

"Hey gorgeous," a baritone voice called from behind. She turned around, rather awkwardly due to her heavy load, and batted her mascaraed eyelashes at the handsome face of her boyfriend, Fiyero. Oh wait,_Prince _Fiyero… how could she have forgotten that?

"Hey handsome," she flirted in return, her azure eyes gazing shamelessly at his muscular chest. Oh, she just couldn't wait to run her hands along his smooth, tanned skin…

"So! You look like you need help," Fiyero commented with a cocky smile, his white teeth glistening in the sun. Galinda smiled and nodded in return. She never wondered how he always showed up _exactly_ when she needed him… it was all part of what made him perfect.

"Well yes," she said coyly, with a wild toss of her curls. "With all these Valentine's cards… my hands are quite full…"

"Should I be jealous?" he joked, striding towards the door. His muscular arm gripped the handle forcefully, and with an exaggerated effort he pulled the massive door open. With an elaborate bow, he beckoned her inside.

Galinda, however, had become very preoccupied with the way his bulging muscles had flexed as he wrenched open the door. She blinked owlishly upon realizing he was staring, and began to blush cutely in return.

"Guess not," Fiyero replied cockily, before following his girlfriend through the doorway.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_

Elphaba lay curled amongst her pillows, a large book propped open in her lap. Her black-rimmed reading glasses sat upon the bridge of her severe nose, and her absurdly long legs lay tucked underneath her body. Thankfully, classes had finished for the day, so with the help of two very large Advil, she had managed to soothe her throbbing headache._Headaches of the Valentine's kind_, she mused to herself, hardly aware that she was making little sense. She was simply glad to have some time to herself. Some comfortable, silent reading time-

"FIYERO!" came a high pitched shriek as the door swung open, revealing the petite form of Galinda, a mountain of colourful papers balancing on her arms. Two bronzed, muscular arms were wrapped around her shoulders, supporting the large build of her boyfriend. "I _told_you not to do that- oh, hi Elphie!"

"Hey there Miss Elphaba," Fiyero drawled, waving his large fingers slowly. Elphaba raised her eyebrows skeptically having previously been unaware that the Prince could string more than two words together.

Glancing between the disheveled mess that was Fiyero's hair to the rosy blush now painted across Galinda's cheeks, she chose to respond with a cold, "Good afternoon Galinda, Master Fiyero." Quite sure that the conversation had come to an end, she glanced back down to the inviting pages of her novel.

"Um, I'm going to just… go then," Fiyero said awkwardly, before turning on his heel and marching towards the stairs, which led to the main hall. Turning to blow an air-kiss in Galinda's general direction, he strode down the stairs and out of sight.

"Elphaba Thropp, what is with you today? You were incredibly rude to Fiyero just now, and me this morning. For heavens sake, it's Valentine's Day. You're supposed to be happy!" Galinda snipped, stamping her foot in irritation.

"Well I'm sorry," Elphaba mocked, feeling her headache begin to return. "I'm sorry that I put a dampener on the little Princess's day!" she continued, growing steadily louder.

Utterly bemused by Elphaba's sudden mood switch, Galinda replied, "I'm not a Princess yet. Gosh Elphie, you _know_ he doesn't know that we are to be married yet. Sometimes- sometimes I think you don't pay attention to anything I say!" Galinda cried, clearly expecting an apology.

_Not today_, Elphaba thought, closing her book with a firm snap. "I_would_ pay attention to you if whatever came out of your mouth wasn't useless information about skin products and hair products and make-up and-and **clothes**! 'Elphie I bought new lipstick!', 'Elphie my Mumsie's buying a new chateau', '_Elphie it's Valentine's Day!'" _ Elphaba screeched, her voice rising to an unpleasant octave.

"Stop being cruel! You know what? You are _insufferable_ today! Completely mean and rude without cause. It's utterly confusifying! It's Valentine's Day Elphaba. You're supposed to be happy! No wonder you've never gotten a rose!" Galinda shouted in return, having finally lost her cool. _Damn goodliness,_ she huffed angrily.

"That does it!" Elphaba shrieked, rising to her full height. "Are you truly that dense? You want to know what I despise Valentine's Day? Because never _once_ has it brought me anything but misery. Valentine's Day is a day for the _pretty_ girls, the _Galindas_of Oz to prove just how much better they are than everyone else. Meanwhile, the _hideous_ girls, the _green_ ones sit alone reading _books_," she spat the word, "and listen to nothing but inane chatter about _ponies,_ and _chocolates_, and Valentine's cards and _Valentine's roses_! Have you ever thought how the rest of us feel, your _Goodliness_?"

Galinda was floored. Valentine's Day wasn't about that… it was about love and happiness and _pinkness._ "Well… well I never-"

"Of_course_ you never!" Elphaba interrupted, "you're too busy telling everyone how _wonderful _everything is. Not today Galinda. You just… you just leave me alone!" With that, Elphaba tore from the dorm room, accidently shoving Galinda to the floor and spilling her armloads of Valentine's cards.

Galinda was left alone, her lower lip trembling and a number of Valentine's cards floating gently towards the floor. "Elphaba!" she called, her sweet voice sour with rage. Really, the nerve of that girl…

Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks as she knelt to pick up her numerous cards. The first she grabbed was a pink heart trimmed with white lace, signed with a simple, _Happy Valentine's Day Galinda, With Love from Crosshair._ Crosshair… who was Crosshair again? Now that she thought of it, it _did_ seem rather silly that Crosshair signed his (or her) card _with love. _After all, how you love someone you didn't even know?

_It would make sense if this was from Fiyero… I __**know**__ him, and I love him very much. Or from Pfannee or ShenShen. Or Elphie…_ Galinda did love Elphaba very much, and she would never make her unhappy on purpose. And Elphie knew that… right?

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_

Elphaba sat beneath the Suicide Bridge, desperately trying to stop the stream of tears which had now begun to leak down her cheeks. Really, what an inane thing to cry over, Valentine's roses. It wasn't like she had never been unloved before, so why in Oz did it matter? But still, the shiny rivulets continued to fall in large blobs onto the ground.

She did wish she had been gentler with Galinda though. After all, Galinda had put her reputation on the line to befriend the 'green girl'. And, although nothing had changed, it was still touching that Galinda would lay down the one thing which mattered the most to her, only to pursue what would most likely be a very difficult friendship. Galinda, though airheaded at times, really was a very _goodly_ person.

_I wonder how long I've been out here? _Elphaba thought, dismally aware that she had left her watch (one of her few Lurlinemas presents from Frex) on her old desk. _Based on the sun's position I would say at least two hours_, she mused. Wiping yet another rebellious tear from her eyes, she wrapped her arms tightly around her knees, and became suddenly aware that she was very cold. Thank Oz she wasn't in Gilikin- it had been known to actually _snow_ up there!

_Maybe I should just go apologize_, she finally thought to herself with no little amount of difficulty. Elphaba had always been a very proud creature- proud to a fault really, and she had never found herself very eager to apologize. Why on Earth would she waste her breath apologizing for what she was? Most people regarded her as something very close to a reptile. Thick-skinned, quiet… _green_; well, she supposed she could see the resemblance.

_Well, I'm not going to be a reptile today_, she thought decidedly, pulling herself to her feet. She quickly stood, albeit rather wobbly, before sprinting through the flower fields and back to Shiz University. Her wild hair came loose as she ran and flew behind her in dark waves. _I wish I could fly_, she thought randomly as her lungs began to burn. But that was just ridiculous!

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_

The sun had begun to set by the time Elphaba reached her dormitory. She had spent the good part of an hour pacing back and forth along the lush carpets of the common room, trying to form a half decent apology. Having finally decided that a simple, 'I'm sorry' would suffice; she trod along the dark hallway to her bedroom.

Of course, she dealt with the usually, 'Hello greenies' along the way, and one snobby girl had had even the gall to ask her how many Valentine's she had received. The plain girl had been silenced with an icy look, as had all the others. It was odd; why would they antagonize something they so clearly feared? Quite sure that she would never understand the intricacies of the human mind, Elphaba shrugged, and pushed open her door with a forced determination.

Bitter disappointment swelled within her body as Elphaba realized the dorm room was deserted. Galinda had probably gone to visit her 'clique' friends, and at this very moment they were gossiping vengefully about the 'Artichoke'.

Elphaba turned to leave, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a glint of red from the bleaker side of the bedroom. Her side to be precise. Well, this was odd, she thought, turning to investigate the source of the colour. _Perhaps Galinda ran out of room for her cards?_ Elphaba wondered, trying desperately to quell the feeling of anticipation somewhere around her stomach. _Wishing only ruins the heart_, she reminded herself as she leapt across the room.

On her desk lay a single red rose, its petals still slightly damp. Gasping in sheer amazement, Elphaba extended a green hand and delicate ran a finger along the bud, smiling slightly as the silky material slipped through her fingers. She ran her fingers down the slightly curved, forest green stem, wary of the thorns on either side. It was an absolutely perfect rose- a Galinda rose.

A pink sheet of paper lay next to lovely blossom, several words penned along its surface in blue ink. _Dear Elphaba, from someone who cares about you very much. I hope this brings a smile to your face_, the curvy scrawl read. Elphaba felt her heart soar as she read the letter twice more. Gently, she picked the rose up from the table and hugged it to her frame, her lips breaking into her first, toothy grin.

"Thank you," she whispered gratefully, her voice trembling with emotion.

Unbeknownst to her, a cerulean eye watched from a keyhole, whispering a soft 'you're welcome' in return. _I guess it worked_, the girl thought happily, and with that she skipped away in a frenzy of golden curls.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_

That had been many years ago, back when everything was perfect, uncomplicated. But everything comes with a cost- Glinda just hadn't known what it would be at the time.

Glinda the Good tip-toed nervously through the halls of the newly abandoned Kiamo Ko castle, bracing her lithe body on its great, stone walls. Her long, ornate ball gown caught the glow of the glimmering torches which lit the path, causing the tiny seams to sparkle.

Her delicate ears could still hear the jubilant cries of her fellow Ozians, celebrating the long awaited death of the Wicked Witch of the West. With such festivities, surely no one would miss her for awhile.

Finally, she came the room. Yes, _that _room. The floor was still slightly damp, the direct result of a bucket of water thrown by a female child. A black cape lay in a tangled mess near the center, topped by black, pointy hat. The broomstick, Glinda noted, was missing, but she hardly doubted that Elphie would have cared. After all, it _had_ been a filthy old thing.

"Oh Elphie," she sobbed, gazing at the waxy green smears staining the cold granite floors. She ran her fingers along the now hardening substance, wincing as a stray tear caused a small section of it to hiss. "Sorry," she whispered, patting the substance fondly.

Suddenly, her eyes caught sight of a large, wooden door hidden under a nearby staircase. Curious, the Good Witch of the North crept forward, and pulled on the heavy, wooden leaver. The door was surprisingly light, and swung open rather forcefully.

Straightening her crown absentmindedly, Glinda found herself in a very small yet cluttered room. A single window allowed in a sliver of moonlight; Elphie had always liked her nature. In the corner lay the remnants of a smashed crystal ball, and in the center, lay a desk Galinda recognized from her dorm room during her days at Shiz.

Glinda turned to leave, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a glint of red from the middle of the room. _Well, this is odd_, she thought, turning to investigate the source of the colour.

On the cluttered desk lay a single red rose, its petals still slightly damp. Gasping in sheer amazement, Glinda extended a pale hand and delicately ran a finger along the bud, smiling slightly as the silky material slipped through her fingers. It wasn't an overly pretty rose; rather thorny and crooked, yet still beautiful in its own way. It was, without a doubt, an Elphaba-rose.

A sheet of yellow parchment lay next to imperfect flower, several words penned along its surface in blue ink. _To Glinda, from someone who cares about you very much. I hope this brings a smile to your face_, the scratchy scrawl read. Glinda felt her heart soar as she read the letter twice more, recognizing the words. _I wonder how long she knew?_ Glinda thought, until a small line towards the bottom of the page answered her question. _PS- Next time you leave an anonymous 'love' note, don't dot you 'i's with hearts._

A bubbly laugh, the first in a very long time escaped Glinda's cherry lips. Gently, she picked the rose up from the table, and hugged it to her frame, her lips breaking into her first, very wide smile.

"Thank you," she whispered gratefully, her voice trembling with emotion. And just like many years ago, a lonely face broke into one, true smile.

"You're welcome," she thought she heard a voice reply… or maybe, it was just the wind. Placing the rose delicately into the folds of her dress, Glinda strode from the room and out of sight.

Unbeknownst to her, a pair of chocolate brown eyes watched her from outside window, settled atop a newly enchanted broomstick. A pair of straw arms lay clasped around the woman's waist, absentmindedly stroking her side. _I guess it worked_, the Wicked Witch thought happily, withdrawing the remnants of a dried rose from within the folds of her frock. Gazing at the ancient petals fondly, she urged her broom forward with a squeeze from of legs.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Glinda,"

.Fin.

**Author's Note: So, here we have an early Valentine's Day treat. Really, I should start uploading my writing. Hope y'all like it, and be sure to R and R. Thanks for reading.**


End file.
